Universal turret finder datation

Hello fellow collectors!

Perhaps you can help me... I have a well worn reversed early KMZ finder for Kiev, like the one on the wiki here:
http://www.ussrphoto.com/Wiki/default.asp?WikiCatID=31&ParentID=3&ContentID=342&Item=Universal+Finder+28-135mm+Early+%27Reversed%27

Mine is marked 'Made in USSR' with the s/n 000184 and a KMZ logo. Any idea about the production date? should be early fifties, no?

Hello SH!

Welcome...
About your question, I would say earlier: probably 1948 or 1949.
The first ones were mounted at the same time on Fed-Zorkis and early Kievs before they were reversed.

Quite a rare finder. And perfectly usable!

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Thank you.

You are right, it is very usable. the exterior is well worn but the finder is very clear.

What intrigues me is the "Made in USSR" marking. That means it was for export, and I did not know about any camera exported from USSR before 1950.

Yes. It would be the first turret I have seen with such an inscription... But I don't know well the history of these finders.
At the same period, some Feds were faked into Leica II to get currency. So, why not try to export a very good multi finder that Zeiss was unable to produce?

The first export Kiev II, with double engravings, are from 1950. Very early too.

Jacques.

My earliest one in the original direction has serial number 003148 and no engravings "Made in USSR" but has a KMZ logo.

I also have an odd Finder which seems to be made for a FED-Zorki. looks nice, but I don't know if it is real, see <http://fotos.cconin.de/kameras/zorki1.htm> the sixth picture.

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Just a quick image from it. Same finish as my other normal finder. It does not look like a fake, the engraving are old and yellowish, the black paint was not touched. I think it would be too costly to fake this convincingly.



Perhaps intended to go along an export 1950 Kiev.

This one is younger than yours by the serial number. Nevertheless, it always have the "tomb" without arrow and the Zorki logo rather the KMZ one. Made for Fed-KMZ and Fed-Zorkis?

http://www.dvdtechcameras.com/lens/leica/47/47.htm

But I agree with you: it would not be convincing to fake such a costless item...

Yours is interesting too, Ulrich. The painting is the same as on the "real" Zorki shutterboxes after the Fed era. A crisp painting?

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Jacques,

the painting looks new, so I think it is not real. But it looks nice made :-)

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de